Blood Knight
by Exigence
Summary: A solo player, Niwatori decides to visit a guild base on a whim. He makes fast friends with Momonga before the server shutdown. Unfortunately, his player character is female and Albedo is plotting behind Momonga's back to "disappear him".
1. Prologue

A/N: A story idea that came to me from watching the Overlord series. Future Chapters may or may not include content from the light novels. This is based off of the anime adaptation.

It was a clear night, even though everything was coming to an end.

He glanced at the corner of his interface, at the in-game clock.

23:51:32

"Ugh..."

Less than ten minutes remained. Afterwards, his main source of entertainment would shut down. Then it'd be back to the daily grind.

Niwatori was a Security Guard outside of the game, so being up this late was possibly the stupidest thing he could do. Needless to say he was working the morning shift-Normally he'd be sound asleep as early as 9:30 PM. But this was a special occasion. He could stand to be dead tired at work at least once.

His job was neither good nor bad. It definitely paid the bills, and it paid well enough. It was leagues better than a desk job, that was for sure.

So Niwatori refocused on his mission. There wasn't really much he could do within 5 minutes...

Conducting a raid had no real meaning at this point. He was witnessing the final death throes of a game that could quite possibly never be replicated.

As the game was a a Dive MMO, the sensation of exploration was similar to being in the pilot seat of a vehicle. The vehicle being his character that he controlled in the game.

Perhaps he would see if he could sneak into one of the guild bases nearby.

That was one main regret. He'd never joined nor created a guild. Eleven years playing the game, and he'd never got involved with one. His justification was that he'd never had the time. Well, no use complainimg now.

6 minutes left.

He'd been traversing through the swamp for most of the time he'd been logged in today. He had been looking for one of the world ranked Guilds, guilds that had the top rankings, based around difficulty of raiding.

The closest guild he was near was the legendary Tomb of Nazarick.

The base started off as a spawn point for powerful undead until it was cleared in one try by a guild of heteromorph player characters.

Nine's Own Goal, he thinks they were called.

So here he was, stomping through the swamps. It seemed to forever be raining. Mud squelched under his greaves, which were the color of a rusted red, leaving footprints in his wake. The most notable feature of the swamp were the large trees and foliage scattered all around. Many of them contained harvest nodes, or areas to collect mixing ingredients for potions, dyes, and the like.

Niwatori stretched out a hand, perpindicular from his core, his fingers stretched forward as if preparing to chop an imaginary enemy.

A blade of energy burst forward from his hand and then concentrated itself. It surrounded his arm in the sillhouette of a longsword. He was quite proud of this skill of his. According to lore, it was a blade made of pure fighting spirit, a skill you could only learn in a hidden dungeon in Asgard.

Using his [Spirit Sword, he cut his way through the foliage, hoping he would reach the Tomb in time, assuming the map's information was even accurate.

After a couple tens of agonizing seconds, he finally came to a clearing, or what passed for a clearing in a swamp. Straight ahead was the entrance of what looked like a Greek Parthenon. The crest of the large steps were topped by a wide row of evenly spaced pillars, each column as wide as four players with the largest possible avatar sizes.

Lightning flashed across his vision, encouraging him to speed up his trek to the legendary guild base.

Two minutes in and he'd yet to be attacked by a single mob over level 30 inside the tomb. The gray walls of the first floor he'd entered contained some interesting architecture. Relief carvings and geometric patterns ran along the surface of the walls as if telling some story with an unintelligible language.

Granted, he was sure it was probably designed that way with the loose crowds on the current floor, but then again, there was about 3 to 4 minutes left until the game shutdown. He wouldn't be surprised if the whole place was abandoned. Maybe the monster spawn points got deactivated somehow.

Upon arriving to the first main door, his interface pinged him. Apparently there was a high level monster on the other side of it. Fortunately, he had not aggro'd it. He wasn't really in the mood to be fighting boss level enemies with such little time.

Instead of bothering to waste time fighting it, he simply activated [message] and set it's channel to shout.

"Anybody home?"

Niwatori waited next to the door, arms crossed. His best bet was to wait and see if anyone would respond. Going through the next door would only waste the few minutes he had left.

"Oh? A last attempt at a raid?"

Niwatori turned around, to be met by the sight of what looked to be an Undead Player.

Although Niwatori never met the leader of the tomb, he definitely recognized the divine gear he was wearing.

"What brings you to the Tomb of Nazarick?"

"I was just exploring, you know with the server shutdown-"

"Don't move, there's a trap there."

"..!" Niwatori froze as the Lich waved his hand almost lazily is if wiping something away. The floor in front of him glowed for a moment before returning to it's original coloration.

"Wasn't expecting traps on the last day," the warrior laughed, a smiling emoji materializing over his head.

"Haka," Niwatori greeted with a wave.

The Lich nodded, a waving emoji appearing. "Momonga," he returned. The Lich, Momonga, cocked his head to one side. "Your character..."

The warrior shrugged. "Yeah, I found out too late you could only have one character slot."

Yes, Niwatori's character was female, although it wasn't immediately apparent. The rusted-red armor he wore looked unisex, but the armor looked less dense in specific areas, showcasing telling curves on the character's figure. It was different enough to look odd on a male character.

"Hm? Oh yes, that too. I meant your racial class. I haven't seen many of them," Momonga clarified. He seemed to pause before deciding on something. He walked towards the door that the NPC was behind, a floating screen of text popping up in front of his outstretched hand. "Follow me."

Niwatori nodded, falling in step. "Yeah, another mistake of mine," he explained. "Not really a fan of it to be honest."

The large door was more like a sliding floor that parted ways, allowing entry. It was made of stone, containing engravings of sorts. A staircase was built into it, and they descended.

He'd been referring to his racial class, [Half Dead]. It, with one of his main Job classes [Berserker, made Haka into a formiddable DPS Tank, a hybrid of player that proves invaluable in many mmos, easily able to switch between soaking up damage and dishing out as much as possible.

"If I remember correctly, [Half Dead] has high defense but cannot regenerate HP very fast" Momonga said, closing the floating text box. Niwatori nodded, impressed by Momonga's game knowledge.

The gigantic door opened, allowing entry. The entryway was blocked by what looked like a teenage girl in flashy red armor. It looked like it was painted evenly all over with blood, leaving no open areas untouched.

If Niwatori wasn't alerted beforehand by his HUD of a nearby NPC, he would have thought it was a player.

"I've never seen an NPC with that level of detail!" he praised, he observed the character as the two of them walked past, the girl seeming to be observing him. With her modest smile revealing a small fang, it would look cute. Considering the environment he was walking in though, the expression came off as almost predatory looking.

Momonga chuckled, a genuine joy sounding over the headset. It almost looked out of place coming from such an intimidating looking Lich. Haka's player observed the walls, noticing that it was slightly getting brighter as they continued on. It was beginning to look less like a crypt and more like a residence. The gray stone walls were beginning to transition into what looked like elgantly crafted architecture, the likes of what you would find in a mansion.

"I'm sure Peroroncino would appreciate the compliment," he said. He sounded genuinely pleased at Niwatori's appreciation.

"Friend of yours?"

"...Yeah," Momonga replied, a sigh heard before his reply.

Was it a touchy subject? "Sorry."

"Huh?" Momonga seemed confused by his apology. "No, my apologies. I shouldn't be letting my attitude bother you. Especially with a complete stranger stopping by simply to chat."

Momonga was upset about something, but Niwatori wouldn't push the issue.

"Much appreciated. I'm not part of a guild, so I had been hoping to just find someone to network with, you know, in case another game came out or something."

"Hmm."

Momonga seemed to be mulling something over, before turning to face him.

"How about I show you our throne room?"

"Is that really okay?"

Momonga nodded as if having thought of that. "Why not? And you are technically a guest."

Momonga waved for Haka to follow him. He and Haka continued to talk about the game, things they liked about it and what they wished had been implented.

He had to admit, he appreciated the sudden appearance of a guest, even moreso that they were not a hostile party trying to raid the base. It was fortunate Momonga appeared when he did. While he couldn't judge Haka's combat ability against Shalltear, the first floor's guardian, she would have been assisted by hordes of spawned monsters. Even level 100's could not get past Shalltear without at least one raiding party.

Yes, while the throne room was a sacred area, he had been meaning to head that way anyway. Herohero had already logged off, so he would have been alone for the remaining couple of minutes.

He had also already equipped the Guild's weapon, the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown. He would have kept it safely secured if he was expecting visitors.

All in all, he was confident that his guildmates wouldn't have minded the guest.

On the way to the throne room, he had the NPC butler, Sebas and the Pleiade combat maids, along with the other guardians follow him and his guest.

"Good grief, you guys must have had a graphic designer on board," came Haka's observation. The maids' attire looked more like armor of various styles with a maid uniform motif as opposed to vice-versa.

Momonga was absolutely beaming at this point. Even with the server shutting down, it was refreshing to be able to show off the guild that he and his friends created. At least that would be another memory for safekeeping.

"Even though I haven't known you long, I appreciate the company," Momonga stated once they reached the throne room.

Haka waved it off with a laugh.

The throne room was massive, befitting of a globally recognized guild. The ceiling was high up, making any who stepped inside feel small in comparison. Banners of the fourty-one members that made up the guild hung suspended from it.

Momonga sat down heavily on the throne, a sigh escaping from him.

Noticing the NPCs that had followed them, Momonga stretched his arm out toward them, his hand lowering.

"Kneel," Momonga gave the command, and the NPC's complied, dropping to one knee, hand over their heart.

Haka stood off to the side, somewhat behind the throne, whistling appreciatively. "This place is more like a fortress than a guild." He looked around, admiring the massive scale of the guild base.

"I see what you mean," Momonga grunted in agreement. The throne room itself was considered large enough to be it's own building. While observing the area, he belatedly realized there was an NPC standing directly next to the throne.

It was Albedo, a mild smile on her face.

"How long did it take to create NPC's like this," Haka commented, stepping closer to the winged woman.

"Most of the time went into flavor text, in backstories" Momonga answered honestly. Upon answering Haka, he noticed the weapon in Albedo's folded hands.

 _That's a World Item! What's Albedo doing with that as an equip?_

Momonga almost snatched the weapon from the NPC, but thought better of it. It wouldn't be cool looking of him for him to snatch it in front of a guest. Besides, only one of the other guild members could have possibly equipped the Guardian Overseer with it...Maybe it was fine to leave it alone.

There was only a minute or two left on the server anyway.

"Hmm, I guess we can make you an honorary member, although it probably doesn't mean anything."

Haka laughed in good humor. "Sure why not." He crossed his arms, sighing. "I really hope a sequel comes out."

Momonga agreed. The both of them decided that they would use the same usernames in the hoped-for sequel.

Speaking of sequels...since the game was ending, Momonga decided to take a look at the settings on the NPCs. Momonga glanced to his side, examining Albedo standing at the side of his throne. It seemed as if she were watching him closely. Ignoring that observation for the moment, he activated the guild weapon.

The staff glowed momentarily of a red hue. Almost immediately, a floating window of text materialized in front of him.

"Let's see what Tabula wrote in here."


	2. File Transfer

"Eh?"

Haka leaned his back on the back support of the throne, seating himself on one of the throne's arms to get a good look at what had his friend so perplexed. "What's up?" he asked, glancing down at the other player. Momonga was making a pointing gesture with his finger, as if trying to repeatedly tap at something.

"It's not letting me log out..?" The Lich replied, his shaking hand betraying his shock. He tried another motion with his hand, this time swiping sideways with his finger. Haka remembered it being the gesture to contact an available admin.

"I-It's not working?! I can't reach the GM or any of the shitty devs!" Momonga shouted. His voice echoed all across the large throne room, the sheer size of the space making it vibrate through every square imch. Almost immediately, it seemed as if a green miasma of light washed upwards from him before vanishing.

"I don't see the HUD either..." Haka cosigned, unaware of the strange light effect on Momonga, having already looked away. He slid his helmet off, which was shaped like a featureless stylized skull with a curved horn sprouting from either side. He nestled it in the crook of his left arm. He kept trying to tap the side of his own head, attempting to find the headset's menu to force a log out.

Nothing happened.

Haka blinked, massaging his throat where his adam's apple was located. Or rather, where it used to be.

"What the hell..?"

What happened to his voice? It didn't sound like himself at all!

Haka cleared his throat. He counted to three, saying testing afterwards and repeating himself.

 _I sound like a damn woman!_

Not only that, but he realized his sense of touch felt...normal. Even the armrest of the throne he was sitting on felt cool to the touch.

"You've noticed it too, I take it," Momonga spoke up, wrenching Haka from his self-reflection.

"Uh, what?" Haka snapped his gaze upwards, belatedly realizing he'd been staring at the marble floor. Momonga sounded so calm, it unnerved him a bit.

Momonga must have been referring to what he'd just been thinking. Haka's brows furrowed in concentration. Was Momonga experiencing the same? He surely must have heard his changed voice.

"Yeah... Yeah, this is weird," Haka whispered, his fingers caressing his neck. He looked down at his hand, which was not completely covered by armor. He examined his hand, which looked undeniably feminine. His fingernails were still neatly trimmed, but were now a bit longer. He could even feel the platemail that rested on the top of his hand, and the trapped heat between armor and skin.

"Lord Momonga, is something wrong?"

Both Momonga and Haka froze at the new voice. They both turned to see Albedo, the Guardian Overseer, had moved closer to the throne, remaining kneeled.

"I'm...trying to reach the GM..." Momonga replied haltingly.

" _Did she just talk_ " he thought dumbly to himself.

NPC's shouldn't have been abme to talk. Subtle Facial expressions and extremely detailed animations like those weren't really a feature of Yggdrasil, let alone fully voiced dialogue. Albedo shuffled even closer to him, nearly hovering over him. Momonga had to sit back on reflex.

"What is this "Gee Em?" She shuffled even closer, nearly pressed onto him. "Please forgive your servant for her lack of knowledge, but I will do all in my power to help you find it!"

Even Haka could tell he was visibly shaken before seeing a bright green light flash across his form, vanishing as quickly as it came. Momonga seemed to have regained his composure nigh instantly, which Haka found to be quite impressive given the circumstances.

Haka decided to remain quiet for the time being.

"Ahem," Momonga coughed. "Nothing need mentioning," he straightened up in his chair, prompting Albedo to step backwards, then resume her kneeled position.

He looked towards Haka for any sort of guidance, but he only shrugged. Momonga seemed to shrug more violently in response, making Haka silently facepalm. What did Momonga possibly expect him to do? He was just as confused as he was. Unfornately for Haka, he did not have a whole guild of NPCs at his beck and call. This was completely out of his element.

"We'll need to figure out if this is still the game, right?" Haka asked, deciding to not acknowledge that Albedo turned her head to glare daggers at him. Where was that animosity coming from? "What?" he asked the NPC, uncomfortable with the staring. For several tense seconds Albedo simply glared at him.

"Milord, what is this...this wench doing here?"

Momonga paused at Albedo's comment. "Huh?"

At this point she was staring directly at Haka, fists clenched as she stood up.

" You have a lot of nerve, to sit on his throne, let alone while it's occupied."

Haka was more confused than angry and could only blink. "Did she just call me a _wench_?"

Albedo tilted her head to one side, continuing to glare at Haka.

Momonga could sense the tension in the air. He had no idea how any of this was happening. The NPCs were suddenly...alive, and already it looked like Haka might be in some kind of danger.

Until he had a better grasp of what was going on, he couldn't afford to have the only other player he could communicate with getting hurt somehow. Perhaps he needed to roleplay his character, at least to buy some time. He was a decent salesman back at home.

In other words he needed to bullshit his way through this.

He slammed his fist down onto the arm of his throne.

"Enough!" his voice boomed, suprising everyone, including himself, at it's strength. His voice was definitely a bit deeper than it was supposed to be.

Albedo gasped, quickly returning her gaze to the ground and folding her hands in front of her, in a graceful display of submission. "Apologies, milord."

Inwardly, Albedo was seething. Outwardly, she was gritting her teeth, her face hidden from the two players' view. Who did that _floozy_ think she was, acting so intimate with _he_ _r_ Lord Momonga?

For all intent and purposes, Momonga appeared to be the mildly annoyed Overlord reclining in his throne. In his mind however, his thoughts were running faster than the speed of light, trying to justify how all of this was occuring. He tapped his chin, with his bony finger, idly realizing his hand no longer felt like flesh and blood. He observed Albedo, two thoughts coming to him.

Yggdrasil had a no tolerance policy when it came to acts considered "18". If he were to do such a thing, the game's code would kick him from the server.

Secondly, although it was being proven already, his sense of touch felt just as real as if he was back in his apartment. He was sure Haka came to the same conclusions.

Hopefully he wouldn't get banned from the game for what he was planning, if this was indeed a sequel.

"Albedo, come here. I want to test something."

The woman immediately perked up, striding closer to the lich, her adornments bouncing pleasantly before coming to a stop. "Of course, Milord!"

They bounced again.

She began to hover closer to him a second time, pressing herself against him.

Momonga's jaw dropped comically, as if it lost all tension, and that green light flew through his system again. His eyes would have been wide as saucers, if he still had eyes.

Momonga reached forward, pausing briefly at what sounded like Haka coughing.

Tch, this was for science. He wasn't kidding around.

"Albedo, may I t-touch you..?"

 _I sound like a creep!_

"Please do, Milord!" Albedo's answer was nearly immediate, which only served to make Momonga even more uncomfortable.

He reached forward, taking a hold of Albedo's wrist.

 _What_ _, that wasn't a feature in the game before!_

Albedo had a pulse! And she was warm to the touch! They're supposed to be lines of code centered around AI. Not living beings!

To add to that, he was fairly certain Yggdrasil did _not_ have jiggle physics, and that were this convincing. He almost felt like chickening out now. Was he really going to go through with this? It was an NPC created by a dear friend after all...

He glanced at Haka to see if he could tell what he was planning. Infuriatingly, Haka only shrugged.

Momonga groaned internally. Damn it, Ulbert would know what to do. Then again, Haka wasn't an official member of the guild. He supposed there wouldn't be much he could do right now. He decided to take the figurative plunge.

He thrust his hand forward, grasping the soft flesh of Albedo's bosom. Immediately, the thought of holding a water balloon strangely entered his mind.

"Ngh, milord..!" Albedo gasped, her back arching, and unintentionally giving Momonga even more leverage.

 _The fact that I haven't been kicked from a server is the last straw. This is no game. No sequel would allow such things as actions found in some erotic game-_

Haka coughed again, but more violently.

Momonga regarded the berserker to see that his face was flushed, making a show of scratching his head.

Why was he-?

 _Damn_!

Momonga recoiled, releasing his grip. He realized he'd been groping her for a while.

"I-"

"Is this it, My lord?"

Albedo looked about ready to jump into Momonga's lap at this point.

"Is this where you take me right here and now?!"

 _The hell?!_

"Should I undress? Or should I let you undress me..?

"Er, Albedo, this isn't the time for this."

The Guardian Overseer gasped, stepping back and apologizing profusely.

"It's quite all right. I forgive you completely."

 _I'm the one that fondled her though..._

"Sebas!" Momonga commanded, remaining in character.

The Butler who had been quiet this whole time, stood up. "Milord."

"I want you to scout the outside of the tomb. Report what you see."

Sebas acknowledged the order, departing immediately.

"Pleiades, report to the 9th floor." The maids bowed quickly and left the throne room.

"Albedo, gather the floor guardians and have them report to the 6th floor. I will meet them there."

Albedo bowed in response, but didn't leave without giving a victorious smirk towards Haka.

As soon as Albedo left the room, Haka sat up from the armrest and promptly slid to the floor on his haunches. Momonga stood from his throne, a sigh escaping his now non-existent lips.

"Are you okay?" he asked, now sounding extremely tired.

"I wish I could say yes," he replied, glancing down at his arm where his helmet lie nestled. He thought he might have dropped it already, but apparently he'd been holding on tight to it the whole time.

"I don't think this is a game anymore." Haka let the back of his head rest on the side of the throne.


	3. New Game Plus

_**Nazarick Throne Room**_

Haka massaged his eyes, a headache beginning to form.

Momonga had successfully ordered the NPCs to various posts, the lot of them responding with absolute loyalty, evident in both their unnecessary praise and the utter lack of hesitation as they moved about.

It was a bit unnerving. Being a Security Guard...or having been, if this was truly his reality now...he was used to dealing with all manner of personality types. The loud and disorderly patient at a hospital who refused to leave after being discharged, that one employee at a federal building who thinks an office is a good place to settle a domestic dispute...

To say that he's never seen individuals act so disciplined and obedient, especially with such fierce loyalty, was a great understatement.

"You seem to have gotten used to being a skeletal overlord pretty quickly," Haka observed, unable to pour in any enthusiasm.

Momonga only grunted in response. With his now skeletal face, it was a little difficult to read what he was thinking. He could either be crying or laughing, he couldn't tell. The ultimate poker face.

The Overlord had stood up with a tired sigh. "Believe me, I was winging it the whole time." His deadpan response elicited an amused snort from his fellow player. Poker face indeed.

With a flourish, Momonga stretched out a hand, and the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown hovered next to him as if by some hidden command. He studies the staff for a moment before he turned his head to regard the knight.

"I thought you would be more unnerved by your situation, actually," Momonga said offhand before turning to observe the throne room again. The flags of Momonga's guildmates hung suspended from the ceiling. They seemed to have been drawing the Undead's attention.

"I'm sorry, what?" The Knight perked up at his comment. He had been mindlessly turning the helmet over in his hands. He looked up at Momonga. Fleetingly, he observed that Momonga was about a head taller than himself. He wasn't sure why, but it made him feel uncomfortable. Haka shook his head. It was a silly thought, and he cast it aside.

The skeleton had been continuing to stare at the flags, his profile giving the impression he was in deep reflection. Even those sources of light behind his eye sockets were dimmed, as if he was distracted, so he turned with a start at Haka's question. "Well you know, being female now and all," he clarified, those red "pupils" suddenly brightening again. It made his simple statement sound more profound than the observation it was.

Haka's eyes widened, dawning realization betrayed by his expression. "Oh, no..." He pulled himself off of the floor, holding his helmet in his arm as if it were a football. He looked at Momonga, his eyes stricken as if from some deep pain.

"But I've never gotten married," he whispered, as if ashamed to admit it. There was even this one girl he'd been interested in...they'd talked several times, and had dinner dates...Everything was going at a hopeful pace.

Stupid game.

"Er, well..." Momonga scratched the top of his skull in an unironically human gesture. "I mean, I'm in the same boat," he said, unsure how to respond to such an awkward proclamation.

Maybe that'd be one regret Momonga would take to the grave. He'd never had the chance to settle down and start a family. Well, at least that was one less thing to worry about, thanks to his now undead body. He'd have plenty of time to think about that settling down and all that entailed...eventually. If that was even possible. Briefly, his mind wandered to Albedo and what he'd done to her settings. Yeah, eventually he was going to be in deep shit.

"That undead form of yours calms you down doesn't it?"

Momonga's internal rambling was cut short by Haka. He nodded. "It does."

Haka must have seen how his skeleton body allowed him to recover from extreme emotion, which was a lifesaver for him. Any time he felt nervous to the point of speechlessness, he was forcefully relaxed. The closest feeling was like just finishing a hot shower or bath, or a refreshing cup of hot tea. "It seems similar to most undeads' passives of resisting status effects," he shrugged.

"Yeah." Haka sounded even more depressed. Momonga wondered if he had misspoke. "I don't have any benefit like that."

Haka rubbed his eyes, a familiar burning sensation threatening to release tears. He resisted. He was _not_ about to start bawling his eyes out in possibly the worst place to be crying.

Being [Half Dead] , the racial class was self-explanatory, and also as contradictory as it sounded. [Half Dead] players' lore, in the most basic of terms, were individuals with traits of a Zombie while retaining their soul, and all the emotions that came with it. [Half Dead] players had the benefit of looking human while having the higher stats of a heteromorph, along with some weaknesses shared by undead, such as holy magic, or a lower resistance to fire.

Haka sat down on the arm of the throne, pinching his nose.

Even Momonga could feel the oppressive atmosphere weighing down on his fellow player. He sympathized, but the pros outweighed the cons in his personal opinion. But he kept that thought to himself. He couldn't bring himself to really care that much, as mean as ot sounded. It was almost physically impossible, which frustrated him a bit.

Haka really looked down to observe himself as best he could without a mirror.

The chestpiece of his armor did imply the change in sex. And he could feel the difference in how his body distributed weight. It was slight, but he could tell his upper body's center of gravity was different, feeling more top heavy. Had he been subconsciously ignoring it? Needless to say, his voice and the appearance of his hands were the forst red flags.

He looked up again with a sigh to see that Momonga hadn't vacated from where he was standing. Haka glanced around, getting a good look at the sheer opulence of the throne room. The throne itself was ornately crafted, and seemed to draw the eye, no matter which part of the room you studied. It looked as if Momonga belonged there, line it was custom built for him. Which, on reflection, it ptobably was.

Again, the thought came that he should have committed to a guild.

"Is there a spell to change gender?" Haka scratched his head. He almost stopped immediately, because it felt like he was touching someone else's-

He sighed, this time aggressively.

Please say yes, came Haka's unsaid prayer. Stuck as his game avatar, sure. But with the side effect of a inside-out, true cosmic sex change? Not so much. He was rather proud to be a man. He had a long-term plan of settling down with a wife and two children...

Well technically it was still possible, but he shuddered at just the thought of what that would mean. He tapped his foot, examining the chandeliers suspended from the ceiling.

Meanwhile, Momonga was racking his figurative brain, and he could plainly see that Haka was growing more uncomfortable as his lack of an answer dragged on.

"I am sorry. The only way to change gender was to create a new character."

Haka looked downcast, as if expecting such an answer. "Perhaps this is my punishment for creating a female character." The statement was made apathetically, so it was difficult for Momonga to place the emotion.

"Well, I'm a woman now," Haka balled his fists.

"Guess I better...man up..." Haka sighed for what was perhaps four times too many. He immediately lost the little energy and excitement he gathered. His arms flopped to the side. "And take responsibility..."

Haka was a woman now, with no way to fix it. It would take a long time, a very long time to ever completely come to terms with it, but he'd have to start somewhere if his sanity were to remain intact.

She, Haka, pressed her hands together, making a show of taking a deep, drawn out breath.

"I'm gonna go outside, get some fresh air, see what's changed."

"No."

Haka frowned. "What do you mean no?"

"At least not without an escort," Momonga clarified. Haka relaxed at his explanation. The skeleton's pronounced chin was resting on his hand.

"If Albedo's reaction to you told me anything, it's that many NPC's may view you as an outsider to Nazarick."

To Haka, the throne room suddenly seemed to small.

Right, Albedo. It had barely been five minutes in the throne room, and suddenly one of the NPC's already didn't like her. The tomb was also legendary for not having been successfully raided since it's takeover by Ainz Ooal Gown. She didn't like the idea of an NPC out to get her. She wasn't even sure if there was life outside of Nazarick. That thought itself made her a little nervous.

"I summoned all the Guardians to the Amphitheater," Momonga spoke up. His robes flowed regally as he stepped closer to her. "Mainly to gauge everyone's personality."

His hand moved as if he were reaching for something, and it suddenly went _through_ thin air and into a dark swirling portal. Haka instinctively knew it to be an inventory space. How, she didn't know. Momonga removed his closed fist from the portal, which vanished.

"Let me see your hand."

Haka complied, and Momonga held it, placing an item onto her palm.

"Guild ring," Momonga explained. "It will let you teleport anywhere in Nazarick." He raised a finger. "But stay near me until I make the announcement that you are an ally. A lot of these NPC's are high level and most have negative karma."

Haka cringed. Characters with negative karma tended to aggro very easily back in the game. Here, that might mean it would be way too easy to piss them off. "Got it, you're my bodyguard for today."

Momonga simply stared at her. "Inside joke," she dismissed. She moved to put the ring on, sliding it onto her ring finger. The ring was definitely well designed. The crystal embedded into it appeared to be some flawless cut Amethyst.

Haka placed a hand on one of Momonga's huge pauldrons, then nodded, signifying that she was ready. Momonga returned it, whisking them both away to the Amphitheater.

\--

 _We're about to get to the good stuff._


	4. First Impressions

**Nazarick Commons Room**

The Commons Room was not the venue that Momonga summoned the guardians to, but there was still several minutes until they were required to be present at the Amphitheater.

Right now, Demiurge and Albedo were seated inside. Both of them were often competing, attempting to understand and parse the vast knowledge of their Supreme Leader. In this regard, if there was anyone Albedo could confide in, it was Demiurge.

So the Succubus found herself idly tapping the china cup in front of her, observing the ripples reverberating through the warm tea.

Demiurge sat across from her, in deep thought, his eyeglasses veiling his crystalline eyes.

"A Player was with him in the throne room?" Demiurge summarized Albedo's explanation.

Demiurge tapped his chin. It was an interesting development. Especially given that Lord Momonga seemed the type not inclined to entertain strangers.

Again, his Lord caught him unawares with his limitless wisdom! Demiurge shook his head in awe. Another thought exercise for him, to understand the motivations of Lord Momonga in inviting a Player to Nazarick. His order for all Guardians to report to the Amphitheater couldn't have been a coincidence.

"Yes," came the Succubus' reply. It was obvious to the Arch-Demon that the sex of Nazarick's guest in question was a large part if not the main reason for Albedo's discomfort. It was no secret to Demiurge, or the rest of the Guardians really, that she was madly in love with Lord Momonga. Seeing the position Lord Momonga was in, it wouldn't be farfetched for him to have multiple wives. He'd have to meditate on that thought later.

"But there is one anomaly," Albedo spoke, her eyes closed.

"Oh?"

"Lord Momonga doesn't know this Player. I'm sure of it." She sighed, tapping her chin. Her tea had long gone cold, and she hadn't touched it. The appearance of this Player, who was totally unafilliated with the Tomb, disturbed her greatly. As the Guardian Overseer, it was her job to have eyes everywhere. She would be doing her lord a disservice.

She had absolutely no information on Haka. Subconsciously, her free hand balled into a fist. She took a deep breath, nonetheless, maintaining her mask of composure.

"No need to be concerned," Demiurge assured, pushing up his glasses.

Albedo sucked her teeth. Had the Arch-Demon already become careless? Or had he figured something out?

"I cannot claim to say that I comprehend the full scope of his plan," Demiurge began, leaning back in his chair to idly observe the paintings on the ceiling. They occasionally helped him to organize his thoughts. The painting was a recording of a raid that had occured sometime ago in Yggdrasil. "It may very well have to do with our new surroundings," he theorized.

"Hm?"

Demiurge took her hum as a cue to continue.

"Sebas was asked to scout our surroundings. Most likely, we are no longer in Helheim," he concluded, watching for Albedo's reaction as he adjusted his glasses.

"But what does an altered environment have to do with her?"

"Think about it," the Arch-Demon invited. "Nazarick is a home to heteromorphs loyal to the Supreme Beings," he continued, leaning forward.

"Of course," his companion responded impatiently. Where was he going with this?

"If this new world has inhabitants at all similar to humans, and if they are the majority population, then...?" Demiurge spread a hand, as if waiting for her answer.

"Then her human-like appearance and Player strength can be used to serve Nazarick," Albedo realized aloud. The demon across from her nodded once in approval.

Of course! Albedo couldn't believe she didn't realize it! It was all according to Lord Momonga's plan. Time and again, he proved why he was the leader of Ainz Ooal Gown.

...But that female still left her feeling anxious. It still did not explain how she seemed so comfortable sitting on the arm of Lord Momonga's throne. _She's_ never even-

Albedo cleared her throat, her mask of a smile back in place. The woman was simply a tool. Afterwards, she would be disposed of. She had nothing to worry about.

Right?

"Well, we should be off to the 6th floor," Albedo suggested. They both arose from their seats at the same time.

 **6th Floor of Nazarick - Amphitheater**

Momonga and Haka materialized in a dizzying array of colors. Haka now found herself standing near one of the exits to what looked like a colosseum. The stone-work looked impeccable and masterfully designed. It looked like a replica of the Roman colosseum, the only difference being the stone made of a darker material.

This was clearly a fighting arena of some sort.

"Woah.." What immediately drew Haka's attention however, was the starry sky above them.

Although...How was this the sixth floor, yet it was outdoors? Whoever designed the place was definitely skilled.

It seemed that the two of them arrived before Albedo and whomever the other Guardians were.

Momonga stepped forward, staff in hand. Glowing red eyes observed the floor as his head slowly sweeped side to side. It was easy for Haka to forget that this was technically Momonga's first time seeing Nazarick as a structure in the realest since. Their real world didn't have a starry sky...

There wasn't too long of a pause before Haka overheard muffled voices.

A figure leaped from a distant balcony and dismounted onto the ground as if it was as easy as running.

The athletic newcomer was in fact a Dark Elf, easily identified by her tan skin. She wore a vest and pants which seemed to be made from a dragon.

"Lord Momonga! Welcome to the floor I guard!"

Haka observed that she didn't look any older than 12 or 13. The elf in question then blinked, turning her attention to her.

"Who are you?" she queried, hands folded behind her back. The question didn't have any ill intent behind it. She sounded genuinely curious. The Knight exhaled.

"Call me Haka," she said, offering her hand. Aura smiled, shaking her hand with gusto.

 _Shit, what a grip!_ Haka kept the thought to herself. She had to shake a lot of hands in her old line of work, so the thought was saying a lot. Not even the strongest men she'd known had grips that powerful. Nonetheless, she said nothing of it and returned the gesture with equal force. Haka wasn't sure, but she thought Aura's eyes flashed, accompabied by a sense of interest.

"Hm," Momonga interjected non-commitally. "Where is Mare?"

Haka remembered Momonga told her about Aura's brother.

 _I still can't believe these NPC's are alive._

Aura perked up at Momonga's question, as if she just realized her brother wasn't standing by her side. She pivoted around, facing the balcony she'd leapt from.

"Mare!" Aura bellowed. Haka was impressed by how she was able to carry her voice so far. "Get over here! Lord Momonga and his guest's waiting for us!"

Haka was beginning to wonder if someone was even over there, before a meek voice traveled back, a shy "Do I have to..?" lingering in the air. How Mare's whisper managed to still be hearable was still beyond Haka's understanding.

"Animated bunch you have here, huh?" Haka commented, looking sideways at Momonga. He nodded in agreement.

"They remind me of my old guildmates," he replied, watching the two elves' antics. Momonga chuckled. "They act a lot like two sibling guildmates I knew." Momonga sighed, it sounded like it carried a mix of nostalgia and sadness.

The two of them might have been the only people from their world. They'd definitely need to stick together.

At some point, Aura was able to convince Mare to approach. He looked as Momonga had described him. A trap. Aura had the tomboyish appearance, with the jacket pants, while Mare wore a skirt and stockings.

Is this what Otakus did in there spare time? Haka decided to forget about it for now.

Several moments went by, with Momonga explaining that he was testing out some spells, including a high level fire elemental. While the elf twins fought the elemental, Haka took the extra time to figure out his own new body.

Just like Momonga, she could instinctively know how much Mana and HP she had, as well as the over three hundred spells in the back of her mind. It was weird...All she had to think of was any spell that would apply to a current situation, and the spell would come to her as easily as remembering that she had ten fingers or that she had a left foot.

There were two spells that came to mind now. She'd have to try them when she had some privacy.

Her train of thought was distracted by a large, swirling portal, a centrifugal mass of purple.

Oh, joy, the moment she'd been waiting for. The fourth guardian she'd see today stepped out of the portal.

She was clearly a vampire, if her skin, which was even more pale than hers was any indication, along with a pronounced upper left canine peeking out from her upper lip. She wore some kind of formal dress that looked at home at a high class prom.

She wore a smug smile, but it dropped immediately upon noticing her presence. Haka had to give her credit, she put more effort into hiding her irritation.

"It seems I'm one of the first to arrive." Her slitted eyes traveled to her. "And who is our guest?"

"Shalltear," Momonga greeted. The True Vampire curtsied in response.

Haka could feel the same air of hostility from Shalltear, although it wasn't quite as undisguised and massive as Albedo's.

"Once the rest of the guardians arrive, I will explain," Momonga replied. "She is our guest."

"A guest? Hmm..." Shalltear massaged her chin, deep in thought.

Haka cleared her throat, causing Momonga and the present guardians to watch her closely.

She moved away from Momonga and began to walk closer to the vampire.

 _What are you doing?!_ Momonga wanted to shout, but settled on screaming internally. He'd told her to stay near him until everything was cleared! But she was walking straight into a group of NPC's, whom Momonga had no way of knowing where there loyalties lie!

Haka on the other hand, drew from her previous life's training. She wasn't going to just stand there like some damsel that Momonga needed to guard, even if the Overlord didn't interpret it as such. The best way to greet a stranger was to take the initiative and showcase high self esteem.

"My name's Haka," she said with a disarming smile. "Pleasure to meet you." Haka offered an open hand.

"My, such manners," Shalltear replied, raising her hand towards Haka, whom held it and kissed it, like a bachelor greeting a potential wife.

"Huh?" Momonga's jaw dropped.


End file.
